March 28, 2008

Need your help- Friday April 4Please spread the word about this community resource. Friday, April 4 is designated "4 ALL Day" and anyone in North Carolinacan call and talk with a North Carolina lawyer for FREE. More than 700lawyer volunteers will be available to speak with anyone who wants tocall. The same toll free telephone number will be used statewide:1-877-404-4149.Volunteer lawyers will be available from 7:00 in the morning to 7:00 inthe evening on Friday, April 4. Callers will not be asked for names orany contact information. A caller can just ask any questions about thelegal system--child support, speeding tickets, employees rights,business incorporations, real estate issues, foreclosure, insurance,wills, powers of attorney, you name it. He or she will talk directly toa North Carolina lawyer.

"Battered Woman Syndrome" describes a pattern of psychological and behavioral symptoms found in women living in battering relationships."

Although many people believe that the battered woman's syndrome is the result of physical violence, there are many dimensions of violence that can result in emotional, financial, spiritual , sexual and physical abuse to the victim.

There are four general characteristics of Battered Woman's Syndrome:

The woman believes that the violence was her fault.

The woman has an inability to place the responsibility for the violence elsewhere.

The woman fears for her life and/or her children's lives.

The woman has an irrational belief that the abuser is omnipresent and omniscient.

THE MYTHS OF "BATTERED WOMAN'S SYNDROME"

Battered Women Are Crazy

The Batterer Is Not A Loving Partner

The Batterers Are Provoked

Battered Women Must "Like It" Or They'd Leave

Batterers Are Violent In All Of Their Relationships

Middle And Upper-Class Women Do Not Suffer Abuse As Much As Poorer Women

www.CenterForJudicialExcellence.orgAs part of our ongoing effort to educate and engage the community, the Center for Judicial Excellence recently produced a 42-minute documentary addressing the serious systemic breakdown of our family courts.

Family Court Crisis: Our Children At Risk features personal testimony from individuals who have experienced the pitfalls of our family law system and expert evaluations of what has gone wrong. The video was screened on the East Coast as part of the fifth annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference on January 12, 2008. www.BatteredMothersCustodyConference.orgAdvocacy

We are taking our efforts to Sacramento! CJE is introducing the idea of a Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) program for California to our State legislators. JPE programs already exist in 19 other states and are generally popular among judges and voters alike where they have been established.

Colorado and Alaska are two great examples of states with successful JPE programs. To learn more about JPEs visit the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (University of Denver) online or click here to download a one-page pdf about CJE's advocacy work.

The state Department of Social Services allowed a 7-year-old boy to stay in a home where his mother's boyfriend, a former convict who had served time for crack cocaine possession and assaulting a police officer, beat the boy with a belt, burned his genitals with lit cigarettes, and urinated on his head, police said yesterday....DSS ignored 'red flag' of abuse - The Boston Globe

(Columbia) April 20, 2005 - The State House took up two pieces of legislation this week aimed at protecting two different groups. Up for debate was cracking down on gamecock fighting and protecting victims of domestic violence.A bill protecting cocks passed through the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. John Graham Altman (R-Dist. 119-Charleston) was in favor of the gamecock bill, "I was all for that. Cockfighting reminds me of the Roman circus, coliseum."A bill advocates say would protect victims against batterers was tabled, killing it for the year. Rep. Altman is on the committee that looked at the domestic violence bill, "I think this bill is probably drafted out of an abundance of ignorance."Wednesday, Vicki Bourus, an advocate for victims of domestic violence, was inundated with phone calls and e-mail. The people were reacting to Graham Altman's comments against the bill, "There's just an outcry going on."Both cockfighting and domestic violence are currently misdemeanor crimes, punishable by 30 days in jail. If the bill passes, cockfighting will become a felony, punishable by five years in jail. Domestic violence crimes will remain a misdemeanor.Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Dist. 66-Orangeburg) says of the two bills, "What we have said by the actions of the Judiciary Committee is we aren't going to create a felony if you beat your wife, partner. But now, if you've got some cockfighting going on, whoa! Wait a minute."Rep. Altman responds to the comparison, "People who compare the two are not very smart and if you don't understand the difference, Ms. Gormley, between trying to ban the savage practice of watching chickens trying to kill each other and protecting people rights in CDV statutes, I'll never be able to explain it to you in a 100 years ma'am."News 10 reporter Kara Gormley asked Altman, "That's fine if you feel you will never be able to explain it to me, but my question to you is: does that show that we are valuing a gamecock's life over a woman's life?"Altman again, "You're really not very bright and I realize you are not accustomed to this, but I'm accustomed to reporters having a better sense of depth of things and you're asking this question to me would indicate you can't understand the answer. To ask the question is to demonstrate an enormous amount of ignorance. I'm not trying to be rude or hostile, I'm telling you."Gormley, "It's rude when you tell someone they are not very bright."Altman, "You're not very bright and you'll just have to live with that."In the follow-up interview, Rep. Altman commented, "I wanted to offend that snippy reporter who come in here on a mission. She already had the story and she came in with some dumb questions and I don't mind telling people when they ask dumb questions."Rep. Cobb-Hunter says, "The reality is the law says domestic violence regardless, first, second or third offense is a misdemeanor, and what they passed yesterday says cockfighting is a felony."Rep. Altman spoke about domestic violence, "There ought not to be a second offense. The woman ought to not be around the man. I mean you women want it one way and not another. Women want to punish the men, and I do not understand why women continue to go back around men who abuse them. And I've asked women that and they all tell me the same answer, John Graham you don't understand. And I say you're right, I don't understand."Gormley, "So it's their fault for going back?"Altman, "Now there you go, trying to twist that too. And I don't mind you trying. It's not the woman's fault, it's not blaming the victim, but tell me what self respecting person is going back around someone who beats them?"Bourus says there a number of reasons, "She may have children with that person, and she may fear that it will harm them to live without their dad, or she is majorly financially dependent on his check to feed her children."Bourus adds another reason women sometimes stay, "After an incident a violent incident, quite often the batterer will say I'm so sorry, it will never happen again."Rep. Altman has worked with abused women, and in a second interview with a Lowcountry station he said he tells them not to go back, and when he does, "They listen to me, they don't don't go back."When asked whether he was sure, he said, "At least not while I'm representing her."During the same interview, he responded to the reporter's question, "You seem to be drawn to this fixation that women have to go back. I don't think that speaks highly of women. I think women can think and be responsible for their own actions. Woman are not some toys out there, drawn back to the magnet of the man. A lot of these men are bums and cretins and they have to be punished but I think women are independent enough to not go back to the men who beat them. And we have a lot of men who are abused by women, but they are too ashamed to admit it."Rep. Cobb-Hunter explained her bill, "The question that needs to be asked is this. Should a woman because she decides to go back for whatever the reason to return to an abusive relationship, does that mean it's okay to beat her, to kill her, for her to lose her life, for her children to witness the violence they witness?"Rep. Altman, "I know you are after a story. And it's kind of a nice story, that we've tabled a CDV bill. Because then you can talk about the insensitive man, the insensitive legislator, but it's not the case. But I don't know why a woman, there would ever be a second offense."Cobb-Hunter admits there was a lot of information in the bill, which she co-sponsored, but she is already working on breaking it down, "One of the things I've learned, having been here as long as I have, is that if at first you don't succeed, try, try again."Rep. Altman spoke out against a number of items in the bill, including dealing with restraining orders and training judges, "Clearly this bill is drawn by people who don't know what is going on out there."Rep. Altman doesn't agree with the training, "What are you going to tell a family court judge that a family court judge doesn't already know about domestic violence?"Vicki Bourus helped draft the bill, and what she calls a key item in it, the training of family court judges and magistrates, "There is very little if any training in domestic violence for them on a mandatory basis."Bourus says, "You may know that many magistrates are not trained as attorneys so they wouldn't even have that piece of it that attorneys might get."Speaker David Wilkins issued the following statement Wednesday regarding this story, "Criminal Domestic Violence (CDV) and animal cruelty are both critical issues that this body takes very seriously. The House is working diligently to improve the language on the CDV bill and pass meaningful legislation. That is our goal. In its present form, the bill has a number of legal and technical problems that would have made it very difficult to pass. We intend to fix those problems and get a bill to the floor of the House."While Bourus doesn't agree with what Graham Altman has to say, she is happy that people are starting to talk about the issue of domestic violence, "Is Graham Altman alone in his way of thinking? Oh, no, no, no. I think he's a very vocal rep, resistant to really seeing domestic violence as the serious crime that it is, but we know that sentiment is runs throughout the House and Senate as well. But we also know there are some very valiant allies."Wednesday, Rep. Altman told the Lowcountry television station that he didn't mean to offend victims of domestic violence, but had no apology for the interview.Cobb-Hunter plans to reintroduce the bill in January. If you want to voice your opinion on these bills, you can call the House Judiciary Committee at (803) 734-3120. Rep. Altman's office phone number is (803) 734-2947 and you can contact Rep. Cobb-Hunter's office at (803) 734-2809 or you can email Cobb-Hunter at gch@scstatehouse.netReported by Kara Gormley

Group Targets High Domestic Violence RatePosted by familydynamics on February 1, 2008The Community Alliance Against Interpersonal Violence has been meeting monthly in a room of the Noisette Building to try to combat alarming domestic abuse statistics in South Carolina. The state of South Carolina is ranked seventh in the United States for incidents of domestic violence. And from 1991 to 2004, Charleston County had the greatest number of domestic violence victims in the state.The group’s newest venture has been to disseminate petitions across the Charleston area in support of a U.S. Senate bill that would establish a domestic violence volunteer attorney network to represent domestic violence victims. Petitions have been posted at the College of Charleston, The Citadel, Trident Tech, City of Charleston Police Department, My Sister’s House and to area businesses in Mount Pleasant and West Ashley.Once signatures are collected, the petitions will be presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Copies will also be given to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; state Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston; State Attorney General Henry McMasters; and Vicki Bourus, executive director of the S.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.The Senate bill introduced by Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., would allow the attorney general to award grants to the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence to work with other organizations to recruit lawyers who would help victims pro bono. If the bill is approved, the U.S. Department of Justice would establish a pilot network in five states. Alliance committee members hope South Carolina’s domestic violence statistics and Graham’s position on the Senate Judiciary Committee will help make the case that South Carolina should be one of the five.Anyone interested in the petition may contact Crises Assistance Response and Education by calling 953-3390 and asking for a CARE team member. The Community Alliance Against Interpersonal Violence will hold its next meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 4 in the Noisette Building, 1360 Truxtun Ave., North Charleston.

The Safer Homes Project, which is costing £57,000 for a six-month pilot, is designed to help those who have left an abusive partner feel safer in their homes. Councillor Crada Onuegbu, cabinet member for community safety, said: "We are making support for our victims a priority and are always looking for new and better ways to prevent abuse from continuing....Panic Rooms For Domestic Violence Victims (from News Shopper)

March 18, 2008

On Thursday, state senators passed House Bill 3065, after the measure met overwhelming approval in the House of Delegates last week. The bill charges those who makes a false abuse report with a $1,000 fine, or forces the plaintiff to pay for the defendant’s legal fees. The misdemeanor crime would also carry a punishment of up to 60 hours of community service....Bill would criminalize false abuse charges Journal News

March 17, 2008

All too often we hear only the bad stories with bad endings. Here is a good one, that should help those that need the courage to talk to someone! Click on the picture, it is a short slide show, turn your sound on...Sitbonzo » Domestic violence. March 2008.

Violence Against Women on the Internet

Safety on the Internet

__________________________________________________________________A New England woman planned to escape her violent husband. She secretly found a new home for herself and her 2 daughters and she sent an email to a friend asking for help moving. She thought she had deleted the email, though it sat in her email program's "deleted mail folder". Her husband found the email, learned that she was planning to flee for safety, and he killed her. __________________________________________________________________

In the previous modules, we looked at ways the Internet perpetuates violence against women, as well as ways that the Internet can be used to fight violence against women. In this module, we consider the question of safety planning for victims using the Internet. This question has the potential to either harm or help victims depending on how well informed the advocates advising the victim are. The purpose of this Module is to educate the participants on these critical, and non-obvious issues surrounding safety planning for victims.__________________________________________________________________

Increased access is making technology an important resource for victims of domestic violence. However, if not understood and used strategically, technology may increase their danger. Most victims of abuse do not know how to safely navigate technology resources to access help without increasing their risk of further abuse.

There has been explosive growth in domestic violence organizations creating web presences. To get one snapshot of the increase of domestic violence organizations on the web, Jerry Finn from the University of New Hampshire looked at the number of websites indexed as "domestic violence" by Hotbot.com. One of Finn's articles, Domestic Violence Organizations Online: Risks, Ethical Dilemmas, and Liability Issues, is posted HERE.

Survivors of abuse are accessing the Internet to request help and resources. In one brief study looking at emails sent between October 1999 and September 2000, victims of abuse sent 153 unsolicited email requests to the Violence Against Women Online Resources (Kranz, 2001). Many local, state, and national domestic violence websites have email links with limited or no warnings.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

As more records become available by a simple Internet search, victims of abuse are at greater risk. If is becoming very difficult to relocate to a new community and hide from a batterer. Land records are available online in many communities with maps to the house. Online "white pages" allow you to search for phone numbers and often provide driving directions to the house. A "Stalker's Home Page" shows how much information is available on the Internet: HERE.

Many domestic violence websites are developing their own Interent Warnings or linking to the American Bar Association's site. The existing warnings neglect to fully discuss "SpyWare" and potentially give the impression that "merely" deleting history and cache will prevent an abuser from discovering a victim's online activities. However, Australia's City of Fremantle has one of the best sites I have seen: Domestic Violence: Hiding Your Tracks On-line including step-by-step instructions and a glossary of terms.

Cynthia Fraser at the National Electronic Network on Violence Against Women (VAWnet) has compiled a list of some of the Internet warnings currently available: HERE.

I have been working to end Violence Against Women for the past 10 years at local, state, and national organizations -- and focusing on Domestic Violence Technology Projects for the past 4 years. I am advocate by passion, social worker by training, and techie by birth.

This online Safety Module is an opportunity for activists from around the globe to share ideas and stories about Internet safety -- and help shape the scope of our emerging national technology project. I feel privileged to have this discussion with you. Please add your voice to the discussion board and/or contact me at: Safety@EscapeAbuse.org

We commend Theta Xi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority on UL's campus, for sponsoring a forum on one of this area's major problems, domestic violence. The sorority brought together a counselor, police officer, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and a representative from Stuller Place. The need for the forum was accented by two tragedies.

Keosha Spikes, a member of the sorority, was killed Jan. 25 by her boyfriend, who later killed himself.

Tonya Major, a UL nursing student, was killed Feb. 10 by the father of her 1-year-old son.

The president of the Theta Xi chapter, Sheraya Bernard, said the forum was designed to pay tribute to the two victims and "to educate the public on how prevalent domestic violence is in this community."

According to Billi Lacombe, executive director of Faith House, the forum is the start of an ongoing dialogue on the campus about domestic violence.

It is a critical problem throughout the state. In 2000, Louisiana ranked as the fifth worst state in the nation in the frequency of men murdering women. The 2007 report by the Violence Policy Center shows that things have worsened. Louisiana now ranks third worst in the nation for men killing women.

The effects of deadly domestic violence reach far beyond the victim. Of immense concern is the effect of violence in the home on children. The Violence Policy Center says such children are four times more likely to become violent juvenile offenders and to commit or suffer violence when they reach adulthood.

If human concern is not sufficient motivation, then the impact on all of us as citizens and taxpayers should be considered. Caring for battered women is a significant burden on taxpayers. According to a 2006 study by the Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, women who are battered have more than twice the health-care needs and costs as those who are never battered. They are disproportionately represented among the homeless and suicide victims. All of this has an impact on the state's public-health system and social services system.

We can help through generous support of Faith House, which offers shelter for abused women; Lafayette's Family Violence Intervention Program, which is working toward a system of education and abuser accountability that will interrupt the cycle of domestic violence; Stuller Place; and other organizations in Acadiana that are engaged in the battle.

People who know of cases of spousal abuse can learn from these agencies the most effective ways to support the victim. Then they can, and should, get involved.

We can also demand that all law-enforcement officers are trained to deal with spousal abuse.

There are things we can do that may help ease the suffering of innocent women and children and reduce the potential for senseless destruction of human life. It is imperative that we try.

09:35 AM CDT on Saturday, March 15, 2000

By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News

Predators aren't easy to spot.

MIKE STONE/Special Contributor

Anne Ferguson (center) of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Centercomments as Sara Cantu (left) and Barbara Landregan work through arole-playing exercise during a recent Stewards of Children seminar onchild abuse detection and prevention.

But Brandy Walker knows the signs – and she's made it her personalmission to spread the word on how to identify those who victimizechildren.

"I think if we educate people, it's the firstline of defense," Ms. Walker said recently after finishing a Stewardsof Children train-the-trainer seminar given by the Dallas Children'sAdvocacy Center.

Ms. Walker, a single mother with a10-year-old son, a 14-year-old daughter, and a full-time job with aconsulting firm, makes the time to speak to groups throughout KaufmanCounty about protecting children from sexual abuse.

"The profile of a predator is that there's no profile," Ms. Walker said. "It could be anybody."

Most abusers are friends or family members. People who prey on children– mostly men – usually rely on charm and guile to get close to theirtargets.

In a process called "grooming," they befriend orromance a single parent and feign a wholesome interest in the child.They volunteer to help supervise or entertain kids in the family,informally or by acting as coaches or counselors in youth-orientedgroups.

Darkness to Light, a SouthCarolina-based organization that provides training materials onpreventing and reacting to child sexual abuse, cites a study by theInstitute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at the University ofTexas at Austin that found that 9 percent of female Texans wereassaulted before the age of 14.

Another study cited bythe group found that embarrassment is the most common reason childrendo not report abuse and that a close relationship to the offender makesprompt reporting less likely.

Child sexual abuse victimsmay show physical signs – bruises or bleeding, for example. Or theirbehavior may change: They may withdraw or act out. Children who havestopped bed-wetting may regress.

The kind of information Ms. Walker teaches is not meant to frighten children or parents.

"There's a way to teach this where it's not intimidating," she said."It's empowering. It's telling people it's OK to say 'no.' "

Armed with knowledge, children who are abused are more likely torecognize that it is wrong and report it to parents, teachers or otheradults.

Ms. Walker credited the Kaufman County Sheriff'sDepartment for its support of her efforts and for the job it doeskeeping track of registered sex offenders.

Sgt. BryanFrancis, a spokesman for the department, said that local cases havefollowed national patterns. Victims tend to be easily accessible tooffenders, who often live in the home or have close associations withthe victim's family.

Already in 2008, Kaufman County has logged a conviction for murder and rape of a juvenile.

Two child sexual abuse cases are pending in the county, according toSgt. Francis. One involves alleged possession of child pornography by ateacher. The other involves child porn and assault allegations againsta registered sex offender.

In 2007, one defendant pleadedguilty to indecency and assault on his stepdaughter. Another, foundguilty of sexually abusing his granddaughters, was sentenced to four99-year prison terms.

In 2006, a man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a neighbor and was sentenced to 30 years.

At the Stewards of Children training session, Anne Ferguson of theDallas Children's Advocacy Center led discussions based on materialprovided by Darkness to Light.

Ms. Ferguson said thesession was designed to prepare attendees to make presentations togroups – churches, sports teams and leagues, schools, parents, serviceorganizations, homeowners associations, Scouts and even licensingboards – "anybody that works with kids."

She went around the room asking why students had come to the class.

"Because I saw a need," said Jerry Waynant of the Child Abuse Prevention Coalition.

"It felt like a calling," said Ana Lilia Aguirre, who works at a Dallas church.

"I felt like this can totally, dramatically improve my ministry at theorphanage," said Sara Salguero, a house parent at a Guatemalanorphanage. "I see the results of [abuse] every day."

Thematerial includes philosophical principles and practical tools, but Ms.Ferguson told the class that what mattered most was commitment.

"The most important ingredient of your success as a facilitator is toknow what you are passionate about," she said. "Always go back to whyyou do it – for the safety of children."

CAMPAIGNERS against domestic violence are outraged by disgraced footy great Wayne Carey's "sleazy" deal with a women's magazine. "If they're paying for a story based on someone beating up somebody else it's sleazy and it goes back to the fact that most people think that it's not criminal," she said.

Although it is not really that important WHO he is, it is the fact that a women's magazine would pay for an interview with him and his girlfriend, that he has abused, to discuss their drug usage and the abuse......just sick!

Many survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking need a way to protect themselves even after they have taken the initial steps to escape a dangerous situation.... North Carolina Department of Justice

This year, the U.S. Congress has the historic opportunity to counteract the results of the FY 2008 cuts and the President’s proposals by fully funding VAWA and FVPSA, raising the VOCA Fund cap to $717 million, and protecting the VOCA Fund in FY 2009....National Network to End Domestic Violence - Take Action

March 15, 2008

Due process violations in family court are usually appealed to state courts. Now, advocates for battered women are combing cases for federal rights violations that might be used to boost them all the way to the Supreme Court....Custody Cases Put Under Supreme Legal Watch

March 14, 2008

IDB approves US$24.5 million loan for citizen security program in Trinidad and Tobago

Washington -- March 13, 2008 -- The Inter-American Development Bank announced today the approval of a US$24.5 million loan to Trinidad and Tobago for a citizen security program to reduce crime and violence.

The operation will focus in 22 high crime pilot communities through the financing of preventive interventions addressing the most proximal and modifiable risk factors. The program will include community action, support to the police services and the institutional strengthening of the Ministry of National Security.

“The program will contribute to the decrease in the rate of homicides, robberies and wounding in partner communities and will increase the perception of safety in the partner communities,” said IDB team leader Jorge Lamas. “It will also reduce injuries related to firearms, child maltreatment, domestic violence and youth violence; and increase the collective efficacy to prevent violence”.

The loan is for a 20-year term, with a 6 year grace period at an adjustable interest rate. Local counterpart financing will total US$10.5 million. The Ministry of National Security will carry out the program.

Fayetteville, N.C. - South Carolina authorities have arrested a Fayetteville man in the beating death of a 1-year-old child over the weekend, authorities said Wednesday.

Marcus Dontell Miller, 32, of 2918 Dwelle Drive, Fayetteville, was arrested Tuesday in Greenville by the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Apprehension Team. Authorities charged him with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. He was being held in Greenville awaiting extradition to Cumberland County.

The unidentified toddler was found dead Saturday morning, authorities said. An autopsy report from the State Medical Examiner's Office determined the child died of blows to the head.

Miller was a recent boyfriend of the child's mother, and she left the child in Miller's care at his home last Friday while she went to work, authorities said.

Investigators said Miller disappeared before the mother awoke Saturday morning, and they said he took her keys, car, money and a cell phone.

A father forcing his children while on visitation to kill the family cat, because he wanted them to learn how to kill! The children's grandparents have custody of the children, a 7 year old daughter and 11 year old son....where's mom?

March 12, 2008

Authorities admit in many cases restraining orders are not enough protection for victims."Restraining order are rarely going to work on someone who is bent on breaking the law," said 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlet Wilson.

March 6, 2008

The issue here isn't whether these are women or men, the issue I want to point out it how the system failed repeatedly, until something tragic happened....

Excerpts from the article:

Brown said she had no idea that Johnson had a history of domestic violence cases involving former girlfriends and boyfriends dating to 1999. In 2004, a D.C. Superior Court judge ordered Johnson to attend a domestic violence program. But she failed to show up for several classes and was kicked out, court records show.On Aug. 13, Brown sought a protective order against Johnson, which a judge granted. Prosecutors also charged Johnson with misdemeanor assault. Johnson appeared for a hearing on the assault charge Sept. 8 and was ordered to return to D.C. Superior Court two days later. But she didn't show up, records show, and a warrant for her arrest was issued.Prosecutors said that Johnson surprised Brown at 12:15 a.m. Sept. 25 near the Safeway store in the 1700 block of Columbia Road NW. As Brown bent over to pull a newspaper out of a vending machine, Johnson walked up, raised her right arm and fired a gun at Brown's neck from a foot away, prosecutors said.

March 5, 2008

A proposal backed by Mayor Bloomberg to expand protections for unmarried victims of domestic violence would open the family court system to individuals in same-sex couples seeking protection from an abuser....

Actress Reese Witherspoon was at the United Nations Tuesday, lending her celebrity to the new partnership between Avon and the United Nations Development Fund for Women [UNIFEM], in their efforts to end domestic violence globally....

The National Alliance For Family Court Justice, founded in 1993 by Elisabeth Richards of Annandale,Virginia, is an international group of volunteers dedicated to addressing system failure in the courts and social services resulting in retaliation against non-offending parents who complain of family abuse, especially mothers of children who disclose sexual abuse.

NAFCJ activists are dedicated to creating synergy and power through networking and lobbying for change for those caught up in the vast web of custody corruption involving such court chicanery as political pork barrel cronyism, guardian ad litem kickbacks, fraudulent psychological testing by GAL appointed evaluators and local Bar Associations who run MCLE seminars with judges (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education) concealing contributions "coffee and flower" slush funds through County Court Judicial Associations.

The National Domestic ViolenceBreak the Silence, Make the Call1-800-799-SAFE (7233)1-800-787-3224 (TTY)Get Help! Get Educated! We believe that every caller deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We believe that every family deserves to live in a world free from violence. We believe that safe homes and safe families are the foundation of a safe society.Until the violence stops, the hotline will continue to answer…One Call at a Time. Help is available to callers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 140 languages through interpreter services. If you or someone you know is frightened about something in your relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Tell Congress you agree that survivors of domestic abuse should have access to the same legal resources so readily available to more fortunate and affluent members of society....Our automated system will provide the appropriate sample message, which you can edit if you wish.The bill needs more legislative support! Tell your senator that ending violence against women is a priority....

Anyone in this area? You may be interested in this upcoming training.KENNEWICK, Wash.-- Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties is looking for volunteers. DVS will start their volunteer training on Saturday March 8th......

March 3, 2008

PORTLAND - The Portland Police Bureau Domestic Violence Reduction Unit, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, is asking for your help in finding a suspect with a long history of arrest for domestic violence related crimes....

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